Nine people reportedly killed, three injured in Donetsk blast

Nine people were killed in an explosion near a public transport stop in Donetsk, the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has reported.

Nine people were killed in an explosion near a public transport stop in Donetsk, the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has reported.

"An explosion occurred in the Bosse district. The preliminary information available indicates that nine people were killed and another three were injured. A tram and a bus were damaged," director of the DPR Defense Ministry's political department Eduard Basurin told reporters.

Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian government forces have shelled the territory of the self-proclaimed republic 43 times, including 19 times last night, he said.

"Not counting [the number of people killed or injured in] the morning explosion, over the past 24 hours, four people have been killed, including two in Horlivka, and another 33 have been injured, including ten in Horlivka and four in Makiyivka," Basurin said.

"Heavy fighting continues in Horlivka, Marynka and Peski. Shelling of the Donetsk airport and the Petrovsky district of the city continues," eh said.

According to Basurin, 60 Ukrainian soldiers were killed last night. An infantry fighting vehicle and three armored personnel carriers owned by the Ukrainian army were destroyed.

Eight militiamen have been killed and another 16 have been injured in the past 24 hours, he said.